Conventionally, Patent Document 1 discloses a heat controller for a vehicle, which cools a motor generator and an inverter, and cools or heats a battery, a vehicle compartment, and a reduction gear mechanism.
Heat controllers for vehicles include a cooling circuit for circulation of a coolant to cool the motor generator and the inverter, a first circulation circuit for circulation of a coolant to cool and heat the battery, vehicle compartment, and reduction gear mechanism, and a second circulation circuit for circulation of a coolant that passes through an exterior heat exchanger to exchange heat with outside air.
Further, the heat controllers include a first valve for connecting and disconnecting between the cooling circuit and the first circulation circuit, a second valve for connecting the cooling circuit to either the first circulation circuit or second circulation circuit, and a third valve for connecting and disconnecting between the cooling circuit and the second circulation circuit. The respective valves are controlled to switch the subject of connection of the cooling circuit between the first and second circulation circuits.
Heat can be transferred by a heat transfer device between a coolant circulating through the first circulation circuit and another coolant circulating through the second circulation circuit. The heat transfer device transfers the heat from the coolant at a low temperature to the coolant at a high temperature, between the coolants in the first and second circulation circuits.
The cooling circuit is connected to the first circulation circuit or second circulation circuit by use of the first to third valves, so that the heat of the coolant in the cooling circuit can be dissipated to the outside air by the exterior heat exchanger in the second circulation circuit, thereby cooling the motor generator and inverter.
The heat of the coolant in the first circulation circuit is transferred to the coolant in the second circulation circuit by the heat transfer device, and the heat of the coolant in the second circulation circuit is dissipated into the outside air by the exterior heat exchanger, which can cool the battery, vehicle compartment, and reduction gear mechanism.
The heat of the coolant in the second circulation circuit is transferred to the coolant in the first circulation circuit by the heat transfer device, and the coolant having a low temperature in the second circulation circuit exchanges heat with outside air at the exterior heat exchanger, thereby heating the battery, vehicle compartment, and reduction gear mechanism.